David R. Busse
Well-known member
I try not to do much travel anymore. But this latest tip comes from my brother, who is on the road a lot selling/installing/servicing industrial machinery. He just got about $10,000 worth of tools stolen from pilfered luggage on an international trip, and his investigation found a huge problem with theft from checked baggage at several big airline hubs.
His first stop was TSA, whose inspectors routinely open bags as part of a security inspection. A TSA official said most bags are inspected in areas where video cameras monitor the process. He said it would be unusual for someone to pilfer luggage knowing it was under constant video surveillance.
The airline involved (AA) was in total denial, but his investigation in various levels of the company indicated they knew of the problem and said it was getting worse, especially at DFW. Baggage handlers were the culprits and they were doing it in all sorts of places where no video surveillance existed.
TSA suggested the following for high-value checked baggage, and I wanted to pass it along, as it's probably a good procedure for traveling TV crews.
Present your gear to TSA for security screening in unlocked cases, with combination locks or opened padlocks. Request TSA close the locks when inspection is completed. Second, ask TSA to put TSA seals on each piece of luggage when their inspection is finished. At worst, broken seals will indicate someone has pilfered the bag. TSA suggests the presence of such seals lets the thieves know the bag is being watched, and they will not mess with sealed bags.
My brother has made two more international trips with high-value checked bags thru DFW using this procedure and has encountered no problems.
BTW, my brother's "business interruption insurance" paid for the stolen tools, the stolen machine parts, cost of the international plane ticket and other expenses associated with this theft. Do any of our freelancers readers have this kind of coverage?
His first stop was TSA, whose inspectors routinely open bags as part of a security inspection. A TSA official said most bags are inspected in areas where video cameras monitor the process. He said it would be unusual for someone to pilfer luggage knowing it was under constant video surveillance.
The airline involved (AA) was in total denial, but his investigation in various levels of the company indicated they knew of the problem and said it was getting worse, especially at DFW. Baggage handlers were the culprits and they were doing it in all sorts of places where no video surveillance existed.
TSA suggested the following for high-value checked baggage, and I wanted to pass it along, as it's probably a good procedure for traveling TV crews.
Present your gear to TSA for security screening in unlocked cases, with combination locks or opened padlocks. Request TSA close the locks when inspection is completed. Second, ask TSA to put TSA seals on each piece of luggage when their inspection is finished. At worst, broken seals will indicate someone has pilfered the bag. TSA suggests the presence of such seals lets the thieves know the bag is being watched, and they will not mess with sealed bags.
My brother has made two more international trips with high-value checked bags thru DFW using this procedure and has encountered no problems.
BTW, my brother's "business interruption insurance" paid for the stolen tools, the stolen machine parts, cost of the international plane ticket and other expenses associated with this theft. Do any of our freelancers readers have this kind of coverage?
